After just four days in the country and in sweltering heat two Welsh shearers beat the two Kiwis chosen to compete against them at the Taihape A & P Show on January 27.
It was a smaller show than usual this year, Shearing Sports New Zealand media officer Doug Laing said. The usual Mahons Amusements sideshows were absent, and there were also fewer horses.
The Welsh team of Matthew Evans and Alun Lloyd Jones had a narrow win over Stratford's Michael Fabish and Te Kuiti's James Ruki in the international event.
Each shore 10 sheep at the show, on a very hot day. The Kiwis were faster but the Welshmen picked up enough points for the quality of their work to win by just 0.25 points.
It's thought to be the first Welsh win in a provincial shearing competition in the North Island, and the second in New Zealand. No Welsh team has ever won a national competition in this country.